10 tips for Black Friday shopping

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LONDON, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 28: People walk past a shopfront on Oxford Street advertising 'Black Friday' discounts on November 28, 2014 in London, England. Originating in the USA as a sales day that following the Thanksgiving holiday, 'Black Friday' is becoming an increasingly popular shopping day in the UK. (Photo by Rob Stothard/Getty Images)

By
Joshua Trudell, Rare.us

The Thanksgiving turkey isn’t on the table yet, but retailers and shoppers are gearing up for Black Friday sales.

You may not be able to do direct model-to-model pricing, but you can at least see what the best deal available on all the 46” TVs, for example.

4. Figure out your priorities

On the big day, figure out what you want to buy, which store you want to hit first and the importance of each present. This helps put your “must haves” near the top so you’ll prioritize getting those first.

If you’ve got a favorite retail outlet, you should be signed up for their loyalty program. (But don’t go as far as wearing their colors -- wearing red to Target on Black Friday is like putting their bullseye on your back).

If your store has a Black Friday shopping alert, it will help you get the first word on promotions, coupons and discounts. In some cases, you can even find out whether the products you want are in stock or eligible for a buy online/pick up at the store option. That’ll save you shipping costs.

6. Monitor the social channels

Retailers often use Facebook and Twitter for releasing deals and promotions. They can also give customers who like or follow them special alerts to Black Friday discounts and incentives.

Rule No. 1 of saving money during the holiday season is stick to your budget. But walking into a store on Black Friday is walking into a retail carnival, and impulse buying opportunities are everywhere.

Take a deep breath, focus on your list and try not to let the deals overwhelm you. A popular option is to try buying with cash, so you can see firsthand how much you are spending.

9. Beware the price match

While many stores usually have price-match policies, those can go out the window during Black Friday.

Check the fine print on their price-match policies. Also check the return and exchange policies to make sure that the store won’t charge a restocking fee for any item you bring back.